There is almost no reason to buy earthquake insurance unless your house is not anchored to your foundation with anchor bolts, or it's a brick or masonry building with no reinforcement.

I am well versed in construction when it comes to masonry, which came from along side my father during summer.

You will need a 4" hole saw - masonry bit if your exterior is brick or stucco.The job is pretty simple but the difficulty will be determined by access.

Seal all asphalt, resurface all concrete, tuck-point masonry, patch & skim coat all stucko, bleach all siding, paint the trim and add fertilizer to make the grass greener.Establish a budget for your renewal project and keep going till you are out of budget.Good luck!

However, I am a masonry contractor and my business partner is a general contractor superintendent. 

I try to use a much tile and masonry as possible in the wet areas, but on exposed plaster/sheetrock in baths in use semi-gloss or satin, depending on the condition of the surface.

I found this from the HUD (if it helps:) https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/4155-2_4.pdfTypical conditions that would require further inspection or testing byqualified individuals or entities include: infestation – evidence of termites inoperative or inadequate plumbing, heating, or electrical systems structural failure in framing members leaking or worn-out roofscracked masonry or foundation damage, and drainage problems.Sounds to me like everything you listed wrong with the property is what caused the appraiser to give a C5 and the deal cannot proceed as so. 

Old-school masonry - be it foundation, bricks or blocks - were usually made of only lime and sand, no cement, their proportions have to be exact and they cured very slowly and could be adversely affected by water exposure early in the curing process.

The exterior is masonry block with stucco finish.

I don't but do, and just like Charles I put a pencil to it for a final decission.As a lender looking at an application for a NOO, I'd initially look at it with 50%, but then I had to use some other quick judgments as well.The age, the location (being very familiar with the city helps), type of construction (masonry, wood, siding and amenities involved).